Bible Christian Church - Pastor Jeff's Blog

This blog is to communicate urgent concerns that God be glorified in our lives. Secondarily, but importantly, I want to communicate the need to struggle against tyrannies in our culture, and the preservation of liberty and the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Worship Services and Bible Study Resume in Brooklyn, NY

Greetings to all: Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of your life? Do you ever feel that even your closest friends do not understand you in your deepest depths?

Bible Christian Church wants you to be restored to hope. Hope comes from worship of a merciful, faithful, righteous, holy, forgiving, just, and loving God. Here at BCC, the Word of God is preached and taught. We shall reach out to you in friendship and caring.

We teach and preach our wonderful and beautiful Savior and Lord under the rubric of "By grace alone, by faith alone, by Christ alone, by Scripture alone, and for the glory of God alone."

You are invited to a time of Bible study – both Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament – every Friday at 5:30 pm. Worship services at held the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 4:00 pm. Worship and Bible study are at 17 East 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218 (about one block from the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop of the F train-- exist th the Greenwood Avenue exit). Call for prayer at 347-692-5520.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 5, 2012 - In an article about an elusive sub-atomic particle called the "Higgs boson," the NY Times reported, "Confirmation of the Higgs boson or something very much like it would constitute a rendezvous with destiny for a generation of physicists who have believed in the boson for half a century without ever seeing it. The finding affirms a grand view of a universe described by simple and elegant and symmetrical laws — but one in which everything interesting, like ourselves, results from flaws or breaks in that symmetry.

"According to the Standard Model, the Higgs boson is the only manifestation of an invisible force field, a cosmic molasses that permeates space and imbues elementary particles with mass. Particles wading through the field gain heft the way a bill going through Congress attracts riders and amendments, becoming ever more ponderous." (my bold italics)

They're all applauding Prof. Higgs who teaches and researches in Scotland.

Please note the physicists "believed in the boson for half a century without ever seeing it." In other words, they had faith in the boson. Also note, "everything interesting, like ourselves, results from flaws or breaks in that symmetry [symmetrical laws of nature are no longer interesting, but the flaws are interesting (?!!)]."

However the article goes on to state that there are still many unanswered questions. No kidding.

Here we have another incredible self-deception -- this is where group think can take a people. See the entry below for May 20, 2010. That was about muons. Where are those muons today. Our ignorance of muons has been replaced by our knowledge (sic) of bosons. Incredible.

May 20, 2010 - The following headline appeared over an article on Yahoo: Why We Exist: Matter Wins Battle Over Antimatter Imagine, they had a collision between "muons" and "anti-muons" in a cyclotron, and found that 1% more muons survive than anti-muons. That's why we exist. Incredible!May 19, 2010 - Candidate for the U.S. Senate -- a state Attorney General -- says he "misspoke" when he said repeatedly over the years that he had served in combat in Vietnam, when in fact as a reservist, he had never been assigned outside of the USA. He also said he was captain of the Harvard swim team, but he wasn't on the swim team. His defenders say that this doesn't throw his integrity into question. Incredible! May 18, 2010 - One of my colleagues told me that she is teaching about human rights violations and comparing North Korea with Arizona (re: new immigration law). Makes sense right?! Incredible.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

A friend of mine has said he has two things in his heart, cholesterol and sin. The former has gone down considerably, but the latter is still operating strongly. Self-centeredness means centeredness on sin. My self is sinful. It is by God's grace alone that I am reading the Holy Bible and praying. This sincere "need" for the Word of God and for communion through prayer with my Lord and Savior is not only a "cause," but an "effect." God's grace has put our prayers on our lips (we are in a sense praying the prayers he would have us pray, yet we retain our "freedom"). Then our prayers are "answered." Let's remember that we are praying to Him from within His own family. We are adopted. We call him "Abba" or even friend. It is not as though we were lone individuals praying to him, but we pray out of our relationship. He lives in us and we in Him (see John 17). My friend, Pastor Adam, learned I was going to exhort at a tenants' party in Brooklyn, NY. He prayed that the Lord would give me clarity. When I arrived home, I clearly saw what would be said and wrote my outline. His prayer was "answered" within the context of the close relationship and familial association we enjoy with God Almighty. Let's keep pleading with Him and leaning on Him in heartfelt obedience, and the revival we experience as individual Christians on a day-by-day basis will -- eventually -- spring up amazingly as rivers of faith wash whole communities and nations clean.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Pastor Doug VanderMeulen -- brief but wise comments about the relationship between the government and non-governmental sectors of our society:

I think that the Mises Institute is doing some good stuff, but they too aren't Christian in their worldview. I detect a "man is basically good and will naturally do the right think if government gets out of the way" kind of stuff. While I agree with them that the government is often the problem it isn't because government is inherently wrong. It can't be [inherently wrong] because it has been established by God (Romans 13). Government is often the problem for the same reason unregulated businesses are often a problem, they are both made up of and run by sinners. Go figure. Augustine, Luther and Calvin were right to keep us focused on the two kingdom view of this age - kingdom of God and kingdom of man. While the three men didn't understand the distinction entirely in the same manner, the core of their thought was consistent.I think too many Christians fail to hold the proper distinction between the two kingdoms and unwittingly confuse America with the church - any attack on the church is an attack on America and an attack on constitutional America is an attack on the church. They seem to think that if we could only get more conservatives in office America would be great again and the church would be safe.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

I was reviewing my Global History students for a state test they are to take later this month. I was going over some of the heroes of Judaism and the ideas of that religion. Joseph was the subject of my remarks. About 3/4 through the class, two rabbis with yarmulkes on their heads showed up in the hallway outside my classroom! They had arrived a few minutes early for a meeting of the school's Jewish club which was to begin after my class ended. I told one of the rabbis about the amazing "coincidence." He replied, "My name's not Joseph, but my brothers don't like me."

Monday, March 1, 2010

Institute for Christian Culture Laying the Foundation for the Next Reformation Brian Abshire"Dr. B" has served as a Biblical counselor, lecturer in theology, youth, singles, young married and senior pastor. He is currently the Teaching Elder at Highlands Reformed Church, (Hanover Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church). Article is abridged.

Loneliness can be defined as the feeling that we are destitute of sympathetic or friendly relationships. Since as we have seen, relationships are central to our well being (Gen 2:18 God Jn 17:3), it hurts to feel lonely. Now, we might be feeling lonely because of our situation; for any number of reasons, at any given point of time, we may not have people around us with whom we are close. For example college students moving away from home for the first time, or a family taking a job transfer to a new community might well feel lonely for a while until they form new friendships. In both cases, the loneliness will pass as people just go about their normal business, meet new people and form new relationships.

Well, frankly speaking, when we suffer from long term loneliness, we ought to first look at ourselves, rather than blame the problem on others. Blaming others is as old as Adam in the Garden who blamed both his wife and God for his sin in eating from the forbidden tree. In the modern world’s flee from responsibility, many psychotherapists have raised the issue of shifting the blame to a sacrament. Any one and any thing is held responsible for our problems, but never our own attitudes or actions.

The Biblical reality though is that sin separates us from God and others (Psa 66:18) and therefore if people experience a chronic lack of intimate, caring relationships, the reason might be because they are sinfully relating to God or others. There are a great number of ways that Christians sin against one another which can break relationships or prevent them from ever growing, resulting in loneliness. For example, they might have guilt over unresolved some sin. If you have sinned against someone, even though you might rationalize or attempt to justify it, you will experience true moral guilt as the Holy Spirit brings conviction into your life. If you harden your heart against this conviction, then you are not at peace with God, or your brother.

On the other hand, many Christians have a selfish rather than a selfless orientation. The world must revolve around their goals, expectations and feelings. When other people do not cater to their selfishness, such people can respond with anger and frustration, making intimate relationships impossible.

Some Christians have a competitive rather than cooperative spirit so every relationship is turned into a contest. Many Christians do not know how to deal with angry feelings and destroy relationships by the disastrous way they handle conflicts (this alone is so common we have dedicated an entire chapter to it).

Some people distrust other’s intentions. They think people are out to use or abuse them and so keep them at arm’s length. Some Christians have developed such a “thin skin” filled with defensive behavior in order to avoid being hurt that no one can ever get close to them.

Additional Old Testament Scripture That Describes The Coming Messiah The Messianic Prophecy (paraphrased) Where the prophecy appears in the Old Testament (written between 1450 BC and 430BC) Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecy in the New Testament (written between 45 and 95 AD) The Messiah will be the offspring (descendant) of the woman (Eve) Genesis 3:15 Galatians 4:4 The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham, through whom everyone on earth will be blessed Genesis 12:3; 18:18 Acts 3:25,26 The Messiah will be a descendant of Judah Genesis 49:10 Matthew 1:2 and Luke 3:33 The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Acts 3:22,23 The Messiah will be the Son of God Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22 The Messiah will be raised from the dead (resurrected) Psalm 16:10,11 Matthew 28:5-9; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:11-16; Acts 1:3 and 2:32 The Messiah crucifixion experience Psalm 22 (contains 11 prophecies—not all listed here) Matthew 27:34-50 and John 19:17-30 The Messiah will be sneered at and mocked Psalm 22:7 Luke 23:11,35-39 The Messiah will be pierced through hands and feet Psalm 22:16 Luke 23:33 and 24:36-39;John 19:18 and 20:19-20,24-27 The Messiah’s bones will not be broken (a person’s legs were usually broken after being crucified to speed up their death) Psalm 22:17 and 34:20 John 19:31-33,36 Men Will Gamble for the Messiah’s clothing Psalm 22:18 Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23,24 The Messiah will accused by false witnesses Psalm 35:11 Matthew 26:59,60 and Mark 14:56,57 The Messiah will be hated without a cause Psalm 35:19 and 69:4 John 15:23-25 The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend Psalm 41:9 John 13:18,21 The Messiah will ascend to heaven (at the right hand of God) Psalm 68:18 Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9; 2:33-35; 3:20-21; 5:31,32; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20,21; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22 . . . sorry, we got carried away! The Messiah will be given vinegar and gall to drink Psalm 69:21 Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; John 19:29,30 Great kings will pay homage and tribute to the Messiah Psalm 72:10,11 Matthew 2:1-11 The Messiah is a “stone the builders rejected” who will become the “head cornerstone” Psalm 118:22,23 and Isaiah 28:16 Matthew 21:42,43; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8 The Messiah will be a descendant of David Psalm 132:11 and Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15,16 Luke 1:32,33 The Messiah will be a born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35 The Messiah’s first spiritual work will be in Galilee Isaiah 9:1-7 Matthew 4:12-16 The Messiah will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc. Isaiah 35:5-6 Many places. Also see Matthew 11:3-6 and John 11:47 The Messiah will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon Isaiah 50:6 Matthew 26:67 and 27:26-31 The “Gospel according to Isaiah” Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John People will hear and not believe the “arm of the LORD” (Messiah) Isaiah 53:1 John 12:37,38 The Messiah will be rejected Isaiah 53:3 Matthew 27:20-25; Mark 15:8-14; Luke 23:18-23; John 19:14,15 The Messiah will be killed Isaiah 53:5-9 Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37-39; Luke 23:46; John 19:30 The Messiah will be silent in front of his accusers Isaiah 53:7 Matthew 26:62,63 and 27:12-14 The Messiah will be buried with the rich Isaiah 53:9 Matthew 27:59,60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:52,53; John 19:38-42 The Messiah will be crucified with criminals Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32,33 The Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant Isaiah 55:3-4 and Jeremiah 31:31-34 Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13 The Messiah will be our intercessor (intervene for us and plead on our behalf) Isaiah 59:16 Hebrews 9:15 The Messiah has two missions Isaiah 61:1-3 (first mission ends at “. . . year of the LORD’s favor”) First mission: Luke 4:16-21; Second mission: to be fulfilled at the end of the world The Messiah will come at a specific time Daniel 9:25-26 Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10 The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7 The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey Zechariah 9:9 Matthew 21:1-11 The Messiah will be sold for 30 pieces of silver Zechariah 11:12,13 Matthew 26:15 with Matthew 27:3-10 The Messiah will forsaken by His disciples Zechariah 13:7 Matthew 26:31,56 The Messiah will enter the Temple with authority Malachi 3:1 Matthew 21:12 and Luke 19:45

How do we know that these verses were not written after Jesus, and then inserted into the Hebrew Scriptures to "prove" that Jesus was the prophesied messiah?Many people who do not believe in the Bible say this. However, manuscripts have been found that confirm that these various prophecies were written down 400-1,000 years before they actually occurred. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls put to rest most of such idle talk.

How do we know these verses were messianic prophecies?Couldn’t someone have read these texts after Jesus came along and claimed they are Messianic prophecies?”

The reason we know these texts were intended to be Messianic prophecies is because they were recognized (and discussed) by Jewish rabbis and perceived as "messianic" long before Jesus’ birth.

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From the Ivy League through decades of loneliness, inner turmoil, and financial difficulties, I was saved by the grace of Almighty God through His son Jesus Christ 22 years ago. What a transformation!! Favorite Scriptures, Ps 34:6, John 1:11-12.